Mine also to some extent Today’s generation doesn’t Have any woodsman ship Only us really old guys have Tracking experience just look At the hunters on tv shooting Houses and cell phones
@@YouveBeenMiddled I’m unlucky in that dept no nabors I’m older no team to count on No friend or family their in a bubble just my wife and son To count on
Yep. Always have irons. When I was in the Marines back in 2005 we had to qualify with iron sights out to 500 meters. I always shot rifle expert 🎯 RAH Still have my range dope book.
The USAF still issued us the original M-16 without the forward assist back in the 80s. Never had a problem with them. I still carry a 20" rifle in my vehicle with iron sights. I was hitting steel at 500 yards with it last week with my old eyes.
@@alancarter4270it's the 250m that gives them more trouble. They aim center mass when the bullet is reaching it's maximum ordinate at that range once zeroed for 300m. Then factor in a 3' carbine, then the input errors from improper sight picture, breathing, and trigger squeeze... It's cool though. We're going in the right direction with the XM7's in 6.8x51mm. Shot for shot, better hit probability.
You are now one of most followed channels bc you’re talking the most real advice of nearly anyone else out there. Thank you for making these videos for all of us like minded folk
Primary weapon mishap while on a mass tactical airborne operation, night insertion, Honduras C.A. 1987. Best described as, while performing a parachute landing fall (PLF), despite the military issued M16A1 being properly stowed in a M1950 weapons case and attached to the parachute harness, I ended up landing on the weapon with my left hip and thigh, which "grossly" bent the barrel and broke the hand guards. I heard the breaking sound of the handguards and the immediate pain to my hip and thigh areas. The pain was beyond words, but it felt like I broke my left leg upon impact with the soft ground. Thank goodness I didn't. However, I did get a black/purple bruise from the hip bone down to about mid-thigh and limped for a few days. This incident rendered my weapon completely unserviceable as it was curved/bowed like a shallow "C". Reflecting on that moment on my life as a young paratrooper, I was combat ineffective to myself and the team, for a few days. A rather sobering feeling when as a soldier, you cannot do "soldier things", without a serviceable battle rifle. I will never forget the look on the armorer's face when I went in for servicing /replacement of said rifle. I ended up with an M-203, as pictured on my profile avatar. In summary, things certainly happen, and that Murphy guy is loud and proud, at the most inopportune of times. That's my experience. Airborne!
I recall seeing a bent barrel more than once on an M16 A1 from a bad PLF. It was sorta funny seeing a guy show up in the assembly area with a bent barrel. You are right, sobering to immediately be combat ineffective on a jump.
Hmm. Was that an issue with the A2 barrels? Not that plan on jumping out of any airplanes, but good 2 know ahead of time some weird/random slip,trip,&fall down a big hill could F my rifle up.
After watching this video, im left with a hell of a lot of respect for your philosophy. I'm no bad ass, I'm armed to the teeth, but I'm into preservation of life and security. If you and I were in the same orbit, I'd have your 6 out of pure respect. So many tactical guys who think a rifle will solve all their problems. It's much more than that.
My battle rifle is an m1 carbine, many people who don't understand laugh at me. It is battle tested, it's good to 300 yards, ammo is easily loadable, and magazines are affordable. I have optics and lasers mounted on mine. It will work just great and I'm not afraid to use it.
I have several guns in my safe to choose from. I wouldn't cry if I had to run my M-1 carbine. I put a dot on mine as well. A functional piece of history!
Because of where I live (Northern Idaho) 0 to 400 yards for standard training, 600 yards for long range hunting. AR-10 .308 cal and CZ Bren 5.56. I shoot Daily
I wish I had your luck. Broken parts off the top of my head. FAL: firing pin, locking shoulder, the gas piston tube ripped out of the gas block M4: bolt broke at the cam pin hole, firing pin, upper receiver cracked from the front of the ejection port forward and around 2/3s of the receiver behind the barrel nut, charging handle pin making the handle come back a couple inches when it was fired AUG: bolt broke Glock: firing pin, extractor AK: firing pin Optics: 7 RMRs, 6 Holosuns, 2 Leatherwood scopes, 1 Burris scope, 1 EOTech 512
Bought a DPMS Oracle in 2016 because of Hillary and, I swear it has NEVER mslfunctioned with anything (does not like steel ammo though). I had to choose between a wife and a rifle, I WILL miss her.
Choosing between Hillary for a wife and owning a rifle requires about the same brain power as passing the old breathing on the mirror test.@user-tc2ud9fz3w
Agree about the failure issue. Where the only issues I have had was bolt issues and that was using an over gassed suppressed rifle. In contrast to that and kind of to your point The most weapons issues I’ve seen were “specialized” platforms and or rifles that were tuned out of reliability.
another good thing about an inexpensive setup in 5.56 is a decent one can be aquired for under 600 bucks and tucked into the daily driver with some mags. hide it away good and itll serve you well if you are on the move a lot in that vehicle when shtf. one last thing i wanted to add is the bcg is the heart of the system, that's where I always put the money into. BCM does well and they are around 160. a psa rifle build is under 400 andwith a decent bolt youre still under 600. add up how much you waste on other "things" in your life and get it now before something dumb happens. spare gas rings a couple of bucks, spare firing pin 6 bux spare "oops" springs and pins kit a couple of bux. stay safe all!
Time frame: 1990s: a Norinco MAK 90 loaded with Chinese 7.62x39mm steel case steel jacket copper washed ammunition. A case head separated and it was impossible to remove the stuck case without a ruptured case extractor (also called a broken shell extractor, costs approximately $15) I've seen this happen only once, but it's cheap insurance. Buy one made for your caliber and keep it with the rifle at all times.
That's why the 5.56 mm was chosen,300 meters and in , for the most common contact distance. Knowing cartridges and the job they perform ballistically on target 🎯 at what distance for the job being done.
Note however that the 2003 edition of the U.S. Army Rifle Marksmanship manual for M16 & M4 Series Weapons has a section in the latter half for training what's called the "Squad Dedicated Marksman," a member of the squad who is of such skill with his 20-inch barreled M16A2 that he trains to serve as a defacto M16 sniper shooting out to 800 meters on the extreme. I'm former U.S. Army, so I know the material.
@@Knight_Who_Says_Nee IMHO, that reflects more on that specific individual (marksman) than on the platform. I.e., as we see with the "1 moa all day" challenge, the rifle may be sub-1 moa, but even seasoned shooters like Ian McCollum, often are not. And 99% of people (including me) are certainly not better shots than dedicated amateurs, let alone pros.
I chose a Springfield armory ar 15 with a 16 inch barrel and ,1:8 twist open sights if it hits the fan the plan is to not engage unless i have too and when i do it will be 1 to 1 to or higher and im not risking it. unless its 3 to one im going to engage and peel off and evade if its not mission essential but me by myself and having a family it's going to be slow and easy survival and not much contact with anyone
Excellent presentation Top. You brought up a point that I've kept in mind for a while now. Target identification. Col. Cooper once wrote that if you took a shot over 200 you should have to write an essay explaining why you couldn't get closer. Took that to heart when I was a teenager. As to systems, I differ because of circumstances. Stuck in NY (Western, Alleghenies) so the AR system is a non starter. There is no team, just me and maybe some neighbors. So I'm the evaders not OpFor. Scout in other words. So for me it's A MVP Patrol in 7.62. I'll sacrifice rounds for barrier penetration with any old ammo. My old broke down ass be running away asap anyway lol
Good clarifications brother, I'll grab whatever is near as I have the logistics and supply adequacy standardized for all the combat/ battle rifles I have-- what the group/ MAG is using matters too, if they're all AK platform stuff, or all 7.62 NATO/ .30hate stuff, then the standardization should fit as such across the whole party, but that's not always the case obviously, people are gonna like and use what they want, so long as they can sustain their preference of system is the bigger issue. No problems running my AR, AK, or FAL for my region and needs-- I would say 0 to 175 is the close range for my area, 200ish to 500 is intermediate, 550 to a grand or more is the longer range considerations.
Half the comments indicate that they were not. They're mostly wannabe snipers with fantasies of taking long low probability shots with their range weekend bench rest rifles that they've never let touch the ground or walked through the woods with.
3:00 Anybody who says they can see past 400 yards in a desert has never been in the desert. Tree cover is still a thing in Arizona. Typically mesquite. And thats not getting into washes (dried rivers) and up in the mountains where its all oaks and such.
Average shooters with magnified optics MIGHT be able to hold an E-type silhouette at 550 meters from a rested position. If their firing position is any less stable - like the unsupported prone - or if they are under serious stress, they are likely to miss at least half the time and that is if their zero is good to begin with. You have an excellent channel and demeanor - thank you for putting these videos together.
If the dude with the hardware hasn't acclimated him to high stress but still buys an AR and calls himself a prepper, then there's some re-assessing he needs to do - former military or not. And I am former U.S. Army with an Iraq deployment to speak of, so I can say that.
Average shooter here. During "Special Zero" I take exactly 15 shots per year (5 spotters and 10 for points) with an M4A1 with M855A1's at 500 yards at E-Types in moderate to high wind using an A-COG prone unsupported. Just checked the video from almost two years ago. 100% on hits lining up the 500m reticle with the bottom of the silhouette. Wind was full value 5 mph with 8 mph gusts east to west while shooting north. Held 1/4 target form right. Super easy.
@@mattmarzula Good shooting. But 500 yards (457 meters) is a far cry from 550 meters. I did the same - 100% (20 out of 20) - on an E-type at the 600-yard (548 meters) KD line with IRON sights from an M4 carbine from the supported prone. You did well, given the difficulty of your firing position (prone unsupported), while I did equally well, given the nature of my sighting system (IRONS) and increased range (an additional 101 meters). By the way, you are not an average shot - the unsupported prone is a difficult game.
The best weapon is the one you train with. My go to is a 7.62 NATO AR-10. I wanted something that could handle hunting where I live as well as tactical situations should the need arise. I'll keep that until I find something I like better. As far as weapons breaking, I've never had one outright fail. Even poorly maintained pos's, once they were cleaned and lubed, ran just fine. The only weapon I had jam on me was my AR-15 (.556) and that was caused by the trigger actuator being new.
And that highly beneficial mentality is the same for shooters as when Bruce Lee said "Fear not the man who has practiced 1000 different punches 1 time, butr fear the man who has practiced 1 punch 1000 times." Both sayings convey the message that practice makes perfect with the one specific method of attack. Bravo good sir.
Bought a BCM 11.5 inch upper after Sandy Hook. Could not find a bolt carrier group and got one from PSA. It was the $70 buck unmarked house brand. Fast forward a few years and at the point I had around 750-1000 rounds through the gun. Two lugs sheared off while shooting.
I saw an m4 go down on deployment after one round that took 2 armorers over an hour to get back up and running. It can and does happen with the ar platform
One round? Two armorers over an hour? What was the malfunction? Obviously didn't happen in combat. I'm guessing poor maintenance, sand in the chamber, and a ruptured case. Those usually take me a minute with the extractor tool. Two with a multi tool. Bolt override? Takes me about five seconds to clear with my little finger. Lose gas key? I just can't imagine who has two armorers available and how they can't fix a rifle in the time it takes me to build one completely.
@@STOKERMATICnotice how he wasn't specific? Sounds like a POG at the range halfway through a deployment zeroing a weapon they didn't ever clean. Properly maintained M4's don't just stop after one round. I've only ever had three M4's break. One belonging to my buddy who was blown up by an RKG-3 in downtown Tikrit. Big mess. He lived and still owes me a bottle of scotch. Although technically he died four times on the table. He got to keep his leg though. Two times the buttstock broke on mine. One diving for cover in Kirkuk and the other off the head of a shooter who tried to run through a taxi stand after a spray and pray with a pistol also in downtown Tikrit. Other than that, the only times an M4 went teets up around me was when POGs ran theirs over with MRAP's or the castellated retainer nuts on the buttstock came loose under fire because some high-speed busted the stamp welds to put on a single point sling.
Could not agree more with this advice. I run a 5.56 Stag Arms AR. A 308 Savage for any long range that could come up. And a 12 ga.pump shot gun. My stag Arms did fail once , gas rings jammed up the bolt and would not let it cycle. Company replaced the bolt and havent had a problem in years.
I can honestly can say I don't know. You are right. I agree with everything you said. My two choices would be. And AR-15 where's a Red Dot or a Springfield M1A Scout with LPVO. I do think a 7.62x51 is a lot better overall round than a 556. 7.62x51 has less rounds. But it does not take as many to get the job done. But the choice comes down to which one fits the team better. I think both are excellent choices.
Have to agree with everything you said. And I have a 308 with a nice scope in my safe but only because there is no range near me that allows me to exercise that skill. However I have shot at 500 several times using irons so I’m hoping that skill will return to me with some practice when needed. Course I trust 308 to stop a vehicle then 5.56.
Spittin facts my dude. I was a sniper in the Army and yeah most engagments 300-400 max. My go to is a SBR 300 blackout that is specifically configured for that close range/CQB/urban combat. Out more in the open is a standard 16" 5.56 with a 1-10 LPVO and thats just for PID.
You will be the sum total of the people around you. Very few people live in a bubble without friends and family who rely on them and who they rely on. So good luck.
I have had out of spec lowers from PSA cause continual malfunctions with pins walking and buffer chatter. But after moving off their lowers have never had anything other than a firing pin break after 10k rounds.
I did have my ar blow up on me. Pretty sure it was an over charged round. And I have it on video. I got it fixed up. Still rocking it. I’m sticking with my 556 for reasons you said, all my buddies are using it. It’s been in use for a long time, and proven. No need to waste time and money on other crap.
This only occurred once, but the gas rings on the bolt, somehow got stuck between the Bolt Carrier and the bolt itself, and would not fire correctly. I carry additional gar sings for the bolt, and an additional complete BCG.
I had a firing pin break on an AR build in 6.8spc. That was my first black rifle, I wanted to use it for deer hunting. It probably had 700rds thru it. It may have happened a few shots after I had a primer blowout on some locally manufactured ammo. Several years now, several ars, thousands of rounds since then (including that 6.8 which is a super deer gun), and the only other problem is carbon lock, and running out of $. Thanks for what you do here
My go to is a GPR 5.56 carbine. 16”. I also have a 20” mossberg 590. I have a belt set up, and a Tether similar to what breachers ran in GWOT. I’m still working on a plan, or my plan as a go to.
Five tours, 19 years Infantry and running. I've seen plenty weapons stop working. Not mine though. Depends how you maintain them and how much work you're putting in.
I bought one of those 4 or 5 years ago from a friend that needed money. He was having his first child. I bought it knowing I.O.s reputation. Planning on getting it gold plated to hang over my fireplace.
Oh imagine if anyone ever had the genius to make an AR platform that fires the WW2 military loading of the good ol' .30-06, with a 25-round mag. Goosebumps, I tell ya!
@@Knight_Who_Says_Nee: There is a manufacturer that makes an AR in 30-06. Can't remember who. Then there is (was?) NEMO Arms with their 300 WinMag. High dollar stuff.
Very good point. I am retired. Cannot afford fancy gear. Some of you may laugh at my option. I have a re-barrelled P14 .303 British. 5 rounds in the integral mag and 1 in the chamber. Not sporterised. Original military stock. 3 sight options. Installed is a Lynx scope 3X9 variable. I'm an old bisley shooter so have installed a mount for a Parker Hale mod 5 apperture rearsight. 6 different appertures. Then I can still remove the scope and re-install the original battle sights. P14 is strongest of .303 rifles. Big game calibres have been built on this platform. Can load to .30-06 ballistics if I want to. Shoots sub-MOA. I have hunted with this rifle and have the confidence to know that I hit well with it. Military woodwork makes it far more robust than most hunting rifles. It was designed as a long range battle rifle. The Brits used thes in bisley back in the day out to 1200 yds in the creedmore position. Zeroed at 200metres, I don't have to make any sight adjustments out to 300 metres. But very effective out to 500metres/600 yds. Range finder is in.mportant as well as knowing the drop at 50metre increments beyond 300 metres. I'd love an AR platform - not in .223, but 6.5 creedmore, but it's a dream. Hugely out of reach for me financially, in this country. This calibre (.303Brit), with 180gr projectiles is approx 4x as powerful as .223. Equivalent to .308. Aim is to escape and evade at all costs, but if push came to shove, I'm very comfortable with the set up I've got.
My mom dont have a basement, but I do, so I keep most of my gear there. All of my guns are AR platform, but not all chambered in 556. My truck gun is a shorter barrel AR pistol chambered in 7.62x39. This gun is used to get back home. I have it laid out just like my other ARs. I bought it from PSA, its a KS-47, paid about 500 for it a few years back. What I would call my battle rifle is a 16" barrel that started out life as a M&P15 and has since been changed over time.
Ive got quite a few rifles and other weapons, however i live in the swamp with some farm fields interspersed with few more than 500yrds. My go-to around my house is Mossberg 590A1 and if i have to leave my house its carbine length AR with 2.5x prism scope.
Personally I’d rather avoid a fight if at all possible. But if I needed to I’d want an AR (rifle or pistol) in 300 blk with a suppressor. If I’m firing at someone I want more power than a 5.56 and I’d rather make it harder for them to know my position. But like I said I’d rather avoid a fight.
@@jamescook7713 this is America not the mountains of Afghanistan. If there is fighting it’ll be well within 300 yards since most likely the fighting will be Urban.
@@John-uy4jx Hey John, I live in rural South Georgia. The closest built up 'urban' area near me is Tallahassee Florida. When the SHTF Tallahassee will be avoided. I'm a 28 year military veteran, retired. Service with Navy, Army, Georgia Air Guard and Air Force. 90-91 Gulf war veteran, 400th MP unit out of Tallahassee. I'm ready for whatever comes my way.
Good luck finding any ammo during SHTF. You should plan your rifle around what’s most commonly available, aka AR15s and AK pattern rifles. Most people don’t use or have .300 BLK, let alone spare parts.
@@hollerboys6667 that can be easy fixed by swapping the upper. You can use the same lowers with 5.56 and 300 black out. But also having weapons in unusual calibers can be useful as well. Having a rifle in 7mm Mauser, 7.5 Swiss, .458 socom or any others diversify your options. Imagine scavenging for ammo and you find 100 rounds of .303 British and you remember ‘hey I have a Lee enfield at my home’. I do get what you’re saying and it has been taken into consideration.
I'm your neighbor in lowest Alabama. My go to is my AR 15 5.56 with 16 in barrel. Iron sights with the M16 handle. I have another without the handle with flipup sights but I'm old school. Out to 350 yrds or a bit more , the target goes down. Farther than that i use a Mossburg bolt action in 30.06 out to 800 its mine with my 3x12 40mm scope. And I'm almost 67
Here in western Maine, 100 yards is rare. What was a heavily wooded region in my youth has now been trashed through timber 'resource management'. Thick with young saplings and miserable bramble patches. Watching the drone-war developements in Ukraine, you can have those spacious western vistas.
Thank you for this video sir.. my every purpose rifle is my DD MK18 i have a magnifier with holographic sight, im not trying to hit someone 300 meters.. im all about 50-70 yard fight.. my dd m4a1 14.5 is set up with a lpvo but i still wont shoot that far..i train with eyes and ears and plates.. in a home defense scenario i wont have time to put any of that shit on while someone is trying to kick my door in..
Per weapons reliability… I’ve personally never had an AR break on me that I owned. However They are not budget brands. I’ve seen over 50 budget builds break in person in classes and on the range. By break, I mean “catastrophic” in the sense they were not simple or complex malfunctions. They required tools or parts to fix. These were all budget brands, complete and home builds. Generally low round count. These ranged from stuck casings unable to removed by mortaring, hydrolocking, broken bolts, extractors, buffers coming apart, charging handles breaking, optics mounts breaking, optics flying off the gun, gas blocks coming lose, gas blocks falling off the gun, amongst others. Included in the numbers are guns that had habitual and repeated malfunctions that the person couldn’t finish the class or range day. I’ve had 2 SRO’s fail around 15,000 rounds each and an optic plate or two. I’ve had an AR10 build break a trigger, which was my own fault for not upgrading the lower parts kit from an Aero LPK. I’ve shot out 3 AR barrels. Training pace: 1k pistol minimum a month, 8k rifle a year, 3-4K precision rifle. 40+ classes. Amongst other stuff.
Ya but 90% of that stuff is from assembly issues. Guys Lego them together and don’t even own tools on their kitchen table. Someone knows what their doing their tough. I’ve got a psa from a house fire. Bud gave me. All aluminum was completely melted. So I swapped all the aluminum and springs all steel was original it had a chrome fn barrel I’ve shot many thousands of rds through it. They just need assembled properly.
@@jefferyboring4410 estimate approximately 40%+ of the above were complete factory rifles. Much of this conversation is folks come from a different context. The bottom shelf barrels will basically be clapped out in 5-7k in the majority for instance. Best case. Or the bolt breaks at 1200. For most, that’s a lifetime of shooting. For guys that actually train, that’s a rebarrel a year at minimum, if not 2. Out of spec barrels/chambers and breaking bolts have nothing to do with assembly
This is down right refreshing.. and solid advice should we need these skills I have been struggling with this for a while what is my effective range and plan for that. Thank you. KISS Subscribed
I had a cheap bolt break in an AR pistol that was over gassed. Also, the barrel was slightly out of alignment and it unlocked too early. I have seen the forward assist used to totally lock up a jammed round in the chamber. I had a friend's AR gas block come loose and it became a single shot. All the gas blocks on my ARs are pinned.
Vast majority of malfunctions comes from not cleaning the rifle properly or not at all. A friend decided to be is own armorer and completely disassembled his AR15; but, he didn’t reinstall the springs properly (trigger group) causing the weapon to fire one round and not reset the hammer. Took a minute to realize what he had done and corrected the problem.
Springfield Armory Saint, only problem I ever had was shooting Steel, first mag perfectly fine, second mag, case wouldn't eject. Now I only shoot brass. I've put thousands of rounds through it now and just that one issue.
Got a 10.5 inch AR from palmetto state. Took to the range and ran a ton of ammo through it. Took it home and let it sit. Went back a month later and after 1 magazine it wouldn’t cycle more than. 2 rounds at a time. I was told it’s the cheap range ammo I was using? Idk. I cleaned it and will be taking it back this week. Didn’t think they needed cleaned like that.
I’ve got a psa from a house fire everything but steel was completely melted I assembled it cheapest possible. It’s been extremely reliable for many k rounds of super hot bubba home loads. U make the gun reliable. Fix it. And make it prove itself to u. U probably just had it dry with sooty ammo
I'm more of a plinker than a high volume shooter, but even so it might be interesting to hear your thoughts on basic parts/tool kit for simple AR field servicing should a need arise before you can back to the armorers bench. Also, what would be your take on an AR pistol in 300 in this scenario ?
I was in a carbine class and one of the other guys in the class had a drop in cassette type trigger (I don’t know what brand) in his AR-15 that had a catastrophic failure. He had only brought one rifle to the class so he was done. Thankfully someone else had brought a spare rifle and they were kind enough to lend it to him so he could continue with the class.
Most odd parts I've seen come apart have been the trigger pins walking out, extractor cracking or chipping. I've had my firing pin retaining pin break while in the bolt carrier and get the carrier lodged in the receiver as it reciprocated in a training class. Same for buffer retainer pin work its way out from the buffer tube ... and the rubber end of the buffer get chewed by the buffer spring. Buy extra small parts. You're going to have to buy 10 of them because the shipping costs more than the parts. Thanks Stoker for the videos.
I totally agree with everything you have said. AR-15 will always be my go to. Yes, I own a 12 gauge shotgun. VR80 with several 9 shell mags all loaded with slugs, but if it comes down to having to choose one gun to grab as I run out the door it is still gonna be my AR-15 with 16" barrel.
Good stuff, my go to is a suppressed 13.7 with an lpvo and some nv capabilities aswell, its been a hell of a rig for me. Great thing about ar's too is if you decide to upgrade or tune them a bit more for your liking tou can always do it later down the road. Ive got a decent bit in this rig but its been my obsession love child for about 5 years. Alot of tinkering and tuning and making it exactly what i want in a rifle. Now its basically just an extension of my body, muscle memory and when i have it, it just feels right. Like my home or my happy place lol, ive even been able to put some meat in the freezer with it the past few years and dealt with some pests like beavers and coyotes on the property. She just runs, a great thing too about usin you rifle like this aswell is just more reps in and you get some real world data of how it performs. Anyways ive rambled long enough, i would like to hear more about this rig in the video though. See whst you got there, but god bless from ole Carolina.
Had a GAU(CAR15) from 1972 vintage, the buffer retaining pin shattered the lower receiver during recoil, irreparable (Yes, was my issued weapon). This was in 1992 so that tells the age of the weapon. Worked at a gun store and saw lots of weapons that were down. Mostly from guys that built them and built them incorrectly. Have seen factory guns break. It happens, nothing really field repairable. My personal firearms have not had issues, knock on wood now that I have called on Murphy. Great vid, keep them coming.
I have had three handguns break on me and was there standing in the next lane when an AR-15 broke on my dad. By break, I mean they became non-functional during the course of use, and required significant time and energy to resolve for the handguns. The rifle just outright broke. For my handguns, all 3 were inherited, and two of them were not particularly reputable brands. The first was a Jimenez Arms JANine. It would fire out of battery and wouldn't fire in battery, so it had an accident with a hammer and a Sawzall. The second was a Rossi .38 Special that the timing was off on. After a total disassembly and deep cleaning it works well as a plinker, now. The third was a Colt 1991A1. It had been fully disassembled and the grip safety had been reinstalled incorrectly. The hammer sometimes wouldn't drop. After disassembling it fully, and cleaning everything, it works flawlessly. Back when Bushmaster owned itself, my dad bought an AR-15 from them. The place he bought it had a huge outdoor range on the property, so he bought it, a couple hundred rounds, and range time. We go outside, he pulls the pins to make sure there isn't any grease sealing the gun up or anything, adds a few drops of oil, and fires 3 rounds. The casing for the third round hung up in the ejector and jammed everything up so badly that he couldn't even drop the magazine. He took it back inside, and they offered him his money back, or any gun of equal or lesser value, so he got a Ruger Mini-14. That gun has been a workhorse for years.
I own the 744th Glock 17 that was manufactured. I have fired it AT LEAST 10,000 times. I've never had a stoppage of a stove pipe. If you want a pistol that you can depend on to save your life, buy a GLOCK!!
Your survival video here, is the ONLY video I've seen so far on this subject matter asking, "what kind of person are you going to be?" This is a defining moment, where the viewer asks himself, "am I good, or evil?" My response is Psalms 144:1, & Psalms 30:1. I shall let God guide my heart, mind & hands should I ever find myself in this type if scenario. I pray it never happens, again!
Yup I've had a gun break while firing. Had a Kimber 1911 that had the tip of the extractor break while at the range on a date. Is now upgraded with an Ed Brown tool steel extractor. And no longer my carry piece.
You asked a question about engagement and If one person could benefit from this real life example then I believe it’s worth sharing. I used to live on a farm and I had to confront two guys on the property I chose to grab a shotgun because they seemed to be hiding from me. (Yes the whole situation was stupid but let me tell it as it happened) I confronted them and my takeaway was “They had to trust me that I wasn’t going to shoot them” (this is an important lesson that a father son duo in Georgia could have benefited from a few years back) One of the guys was calm because it wasn’t his first rodeo but the other guy was younger and dumber than me and he was scared enough to do something stupid. I never pointed the gun at them but I could tell his mind was racing with bad decisions. “He clearly didn’t trust me not to shoot him” luckily the other guy calmed him down and the police sorted it all out. They were surveyors but they admitted their actions were suspicious. My takeaway was in real life you cannot control the reptilian brain of a stranger, so ask yourself what would you do if you were them. If your answer is fight for your life then maybe you should choose an approach that YOU would not feel the need to fight for your life. The next group I had to deal with on my property was a Jeep full of drunks that stopped in my front yard. I walked out with my mag light 🔦 and asked what they were doing. They replied we were looking for dead bodies (earlier that day a car lost control on the gravel road nearly hitting my wife in the yard and crashed into a tree. The young driver’s abandoned it there for a couple of days before a tow truck showed up to get it out of the yard) The drunks saw the vehicle and decided to drive up to it and see if anyone was inside. They inquired about the flashlight 🔦 and I said “I figured it was less threatening than my shotgun”😁 we all had a laugh and I confirmed where they were heading and they went on their way. Some people may think I could have been out gunned in that situation but those people haven’t seen my wife shoot an M1 Garand, Just like those guys never seen her that night 👍 The point of me sharing this isn’t to say what’s right and what’s wrong it’s to get people to think about how their actions can potentially create the outcome they do not want. Always know what your preferred outcome is and ask if you were them would you respond to your actions in the way you want them to respond… If NO then change your approach 👊 These are the shortest versions of these two incidents so some quick facts. Police response time was 30-45 minutes in that area. In the first incident I found the truck before finding them and called the number and the secretary said she had no idea why it was there or who was on my property 🤦🏻♂️ For the second incident drunk farm boys in a Jeep was like drunk people on ATVs different time different place 🤷🏻♂️ I approached them because I felt that they were going to approach my home and I preferred to engage them in the yard than on my porch. They were being very loud and something they said made me think they were going to approach the house next. My personal takeaway was I was more confident of a positive outcome on the second engagement than I was on the first because my own actions hadn’t raised the threat to an undesirable level.
Yes, a custom Colt 1911. Of all issues, the sear broke. I had never ever heard of one breaking in the past. Wear issues, yes but not breaking. Obviously, the pistol was down. Went to an issue S&W 66 revolver. I preferred the 1911 for serious social situations -- and still do. Things happens.
I run a 14.5 sop mod block 2, it’s a nail driver up to 450 yards and it’s small enough if I have to do cqc I can do so. It’s also battle tested by marines, seals, delta, rangers, ect.
I've had a few Young Manufacturing bolts break at the cam pin hole, several extractors and springs, a Grendel bolt. I've had gas blocks that weren't pinned slide down the barrel during a high round count(400 in 5 stages) 3 gun event.
If the grid goes down and food is gone, anyone you meet would be a potential enemy! Protection is most important during SHTF! That and numbers! Find likeminded individuals and prepare to defend yourselves from desperate people!
Good points. Good video. Not sure why some guys think that they can hump a hangin, carbine & long range rifle, the ammo & other necessary kit. Not happening.
My part time gig is at a gun shop/range. 2020 during the height of covid insanity and crazed buying to did as a Ruger 556 come apart on the range. Was brand new out of the box. Century arms makes a trash AK that always breaks at the stock (at least at our range). My AR10 built out to be my battle rifle. I did add a 20” barrel just cuz but that’s built for that purpose. You’re absolutely right though you can’t plan the situation when it comes but having at least a plan is the best start
We are prepared for a variety of hardships and challenges ... including security ... we just hope the kinetic will be limited in scope and well-defined in nature ... I'm with you, don't go looking for trouble ... defend if necessary ...
I think the real enemy won’t be in
The woods but in our front and back yards trying to scavenge
Whatever they can find
Maybe. But in my case, they are one and the same.
@@STOKERMATIC mine also to some
Extent but this generation doesn’t
Have any woodsman ship only
Us really old hunters know about
Tracking game
Mine also to some extent
Today’s generation doesn’t
Have any woodsman ship
Only us really old guys have
Tracking experience just look
At the hunters on tv shooting
Houses and cell phones
Have you made range cards and a neighborhood defense plan yet?
Where will your team be most effective? What's their response time?
🤔
@@YouveBeenMiddled I’m unlucky in that dept no nabors
I’m older no team to count on
No friend or family their in a bubble just my wife and son
To count on
Good presentation and advice. I’ve never had a set of iron sights quit on me because of a dead battery.
I'm with you. You know that most guys these days in the military can't shoot with iron sights?
Yep. Always have irons. When I was in the Marines back in 2005 we had to qualify with iron sights out to 500 meters. I always shot rifle expert 🎯 RAH
Still have my range dope book.
@@mattmarzulayep I've seen it. Heck many can't even 300 yards lol.
The USAF still issued us the original M-16 without the forward assist back in the 80s. Never had a problem with them. I still carry a 20" rifle in my vehicle with iron sights. I was hitting steel at 500 yards with it last week with my old eyes.
@@alancarter4270it's the 250m that gives them more trouble. They aim center mass when the bullet is reaching it's maximum ordinate at that range once zeroed for 300m. Then factor in a 3' carbine, then the input errors from improper sight picture, breathing, and trigger squeeze... It's cool though. We're going in the right direction with the XM7's in 6.8x51mm. Shot for shot, better hit probability.
You are now one of most followed channels bc you’re talking the most real advice of nearly anyone else out there. Thank you for making these videos for all of us like minded folk
Appreciate ya!
Primary weapon mishap while on a mass tactical airborne operation, night insertion, Honduras C.A. 1987. Best described as, while performing a parachute landing fall (PLF), despite the military issued M16A1 being properly stowed in a M1950 weapons case and attached to the parachute harness, I ended up landing on the weapon with my left hip and thigh, which "grossly" bent the barrel and broke the hand guards. I heard the breaking sound of the handguards and the immediate pain to my hip and thigh areas. The pain was beyond words, but it felt like I broke my left leg upon impact with the soft ground. Thank goodness I didn't. However, I did get a black/purple bruise from the hip bone down to about mid-thigh and limped for a few days.
This incident rendered my weapon completely unserviceable as it was curved/bowed like a shallow "C".
Reflecting on that moment on my life as a young paratrooper, I was combat ineffective to myself and the team, for a few days. A rather sobering feeling when as a soldier, you cannot do "soldier things", without a serviceable battle rifle.
I will never forget the look on the armorer's face when I went in for servicing /replacement of said rifle. I ended up with an M-203, as pictured on my profile avatar.
In summary, things certainly happen, and that Murphy guy is loud and proud, at the most inopportune of times.
That's my experience.
Airborne!
Appreciate it!
I recall seeing a bent barrel more than once on an M16 A1 from a bad PLF. It was sorta funny seeing a guy show up in the assembly area with a bent barrel. You are right, sobering to immediately be combat ineffective on a jump.
Hmm. Was that an issue with the A2 barrels? Not that plan on jumping out of any airplanes, but good 2 know ahead of time some weird/random slip,trip,&fall down a big hill could F my rifle up.
@@jamesborek8125 I only saw it on the M16 A1 barrel
@@jamesborek8125 At the time, we were jumping exposed weapons too. I never saw it when a wpn was inside an M1950 case.
Thank you for getting back on the horse, Stoker. I know it hurts; been there. But people need you, brother.
In Alabama, for the most part, the only way we can even get 500+ yards is to clear cut a chunk of land. The bread and butter is the “0-300” range.
Depends on where you’re at. Plenty of wide open fields in Alabama.
God’s country
Most breakdowns are from lack of maintenance. Appreciate your message and I am encouraged that I am not the only one who views shtf this way
After watching this video, im left with a hell of a lot of respect for your philosophy. I'm no bad ass, I'm armed to the teeth, but I'm into preservation of life and security. If you and I were in the same orbit, I'd have your 6 out of pure respect. So many tactical guys who think a rifle will solve all their problems. It's much more than that.
My bug out gun is a 9mm PCC, for many of your reasons. Good video.
My battle rifle is an m1 carbine, many people who don't understand laugh at me. It is battle tested, it's good to 300 yards, ammo is easily loadable, and magazines are affordable. I have optics and lasers mounted on mine. It will work just great and I'm not afraid to use it.
Good stuff.
The only downside I see to your selection is the availability of ammo... .30cal isn't all that popular anymore other than that I agree!
I have several guns in my safe to choose from. I wouldn't cry if I had to run my M-1 carbine. I put a dot on mine as well. A functional piece of history!
I can dig it.
@@davemac2505
If he’s stocking his own ammo what’s the issue?
What you have is what you got is probably one of the realest things anyone has said in a video in this community
Because of where I live (Northern Idaho) 0 to 400 yards for standard training, 600 yards for long range hunting. AR-10 .308 cal and CZ Bren 5.56. I shoot Daily
I wish I had your luck. Broken parts off the top of my head.
FAL: firing pin, locking shoulder, the gas piston tube ripped out of the gas block
M4: bolt broke at the cam pin hole, firing pin, upper receiver cracked from the front of the ejection port forward and around 2/3s of the receiver behind the barrel nut, charging handle pin making the handle come back a couple inches when it was fired
AUG: bolt broke
Glock: firing pin, extractor
AK: firing pin
Optics: 7 RMRs, 6 Holosuns, 2 Leatherwood scopes, 1 Burris scope, 1 EOTech 512
Bought a DPMS Oracle in 2016 because of Hillary and, I swear it has NEVER mslfunctioned with anything (does not like steel ammo though). I had to choose between a wife and a rifle, I WILL miss her.
You should get payed to test things until failure, lol. I think we have the same luck broker. 😅
Choosing between Hillary for a wife and owning a rifle requires about the same brain power as passing the old breathing on the mirror test.@user-tc2ud9fz3w
Jeff Cooper in The Art of the Rifle spoke of two principles of marksmanship
If you can get steadier, get steadier.
If you can get closer, get closer.
Also supported the use of a scout rifle see 16” 308.
Agree about the failure issue.
Where the only issues I have had was bolt issues and that was using an over gassed suppressed rifle.
In contrast to that and kind of to your point
The most weapons issues I’ve seen were “specialized” platforms and or rifles that were tuned out of reliability.
Psa now has more than dependable ar,s starting at 400bucks no reason not to have at least one in the closet
In West Virginia get 100m to 200 m max ranges in the sticks here in the hills
Same here in Southeast Missouri out in the sticks 100 yards absolute max in most situations.
Best German Shepherd I have had the joy to spend my life with came from kraftwerk kennels. FYI. They are proud of them though.
another good thing about an inexpensive setup in 5.56 is a decent one can be aquired for under 600 bucks and tucked into the daily driver with some mags. hide it away good and itll serve you well if you are on the move a lot in that vehicle when shtf. one last thing i wanted to add is the bcg is the heart of the system, that's where I always put the money into. BCM does well and they are around 160. a psa rifle build is under 400 andwith a decent bolt youre still under 600. add up how much you waste on other "things" in your life and get it now before something dumb happens. spare gas rings a couple of bucks, spare firing pin 6 bux spare "oops" springs and pins kit a couple of bux. stay safe all!
Time frame: 1990s: a Norinco MAK 90 loaded with Chinese 7.62x39mm steel case steel jacket copper washed ammunition. A case head separated and it was impossible to remove the stuck case without a ruptured case extractor (also called a broken shell extractor, costs approximately $15) I've seen this happen only once, but it's cheap insurance. Buy one made for your caliber and keep it with the rifle at all times.
That's why the 5.56 mm was chosen,300 meters and in , for the most common contact distance. Knowing cartridges and the job they perform ballistically on target 🎯 at what distance for the job being done.
Note however that the 2003 edition of the U.S. Army Rifle Marksmanship manual for M16 & M4 Series Weapons has a section in the latter half for training what's called the "Squad Dedicated Marksman," a member of the squad who is of such skill with his 20-inch barreled M16A2 that he trains to serve as a defacto M16 sniper shooting out to 800 meters on the extreme.
I'm former U.S. Army, so I know the material.
@@Knight_Who_Says_Nee IMHO, that reflects more on that specific individual (marksman) than on the platform.
I.e., as we see with the "1 moa all day" challenge, the rifle may be sub-1 moa, but even seasoned shooters like Ian McCollum, often are not.
And 99% of people (including me) are certainly not better shots than dedicated amateurs, let alone pros.
@@Knight_Who_Says_NeeThat’s military optimism. Even MK262 is way past its effective velocity at 800 yards.
@@echofoxtrotwhiskey1595 M855 even has kills past 800 yds out of a rifle, so it depends on your definition of “effective.”
@@Hornet135 Yeah those are flukes.
I chose a Springfield armory ar 15 with a 16 inch barrel and ,1:8 twist open sights if it hits the fan the plan is to not engage unless i have too and when i do it will be 1 to 1 to or higher and im not risking it. unless its 3 to one im going to engage and peel off and evade if its not mission essential but me by myself and having a family it's going to be slow and easy survival and not much contact with anyone
Excellent presentation Top. You brought up a point that I've kept in mind for a while now. Target identification. Col. Cooper once wrote that if you took a shot over 200 you should have to write an essay explaining why you couldn't get closer. Took that to heart when I was a teenager. As to systems, I differ because of circumstances. Stuck in NY (Western, Alleghenies) so the AR system is a non starter. There is no team, just me and maybe some neighbors. So I'm the evaders not OpFor. Scout in other words. So for me it's A MVP Patrol in 7.62. I'll sacrifice rounds for barrier penetration with any old ammo. My old broke down ass be running away asap anyway lol
Good clarifications brother, I'll grab whatever is near as I have the logistics and supply adequacy standardized for all the combat/ battle rifles I have-- what the group/ MAG is using matters too, if they're all AK platform stuff, or all 7.62 NATO/ .30hate stuff, then the standardization should fit as such across the whole party, but that's not always the case obviously, people are gonna like and use what they want, so long as they can sustain their preference of system is the bigger issue.
No problems running my AR, AK, or FAL for my region and needs-- I would say 0 to 175 is the close range for my area, 200ish to 500 is intermediate, 550 to a grand or more is the longer range considerations.
Great advice! Hope someone is listening to what you have said!
Half the comments indicate that they were not. They're mostly wannabe snipers with fantasies of taking long low probability shots with their range weekend bench rest rifles that they've never let touch the ground or walked through the woods with.
3:00
Anybody who says they can see past 400 yards in a desert has never been in the desert. Tree cover is still a thing in Arizona. Typically mesquite. And thats not getting into washes (dried rivers) and up in the mountains where its all oaks and such.
Average shooters with magnified optics MIGHT be able to hold an E-type silhouette at 550 meters from a rested position. If their firing position is any less stable - like the unsupported prone - or if they are under serious stress, they are likely to miss at least half the time and that is if their zero is good to begin with. You have an excellent channel and demeanor - thank you for putting these videos together.
If the dude with the hardware hasn't acclimated him to high stress but still buys an AR and calls himself a prepper, then there's some re-assessing he needs to do - former military or not.
And I am former U.S. Army with an Iraq deployment to speak of, so I can say that.
Average shooter here. During "Special Zero" I take exactly 15 shots per year (5 spotters and 10 for points) with an M4A1 with M855A1's at 500 yards at E-Types in moderate to high wind using an A-COG prone unsupported. Just checked the video from almost two years ago. 100% on hits lining up the 500m reticle with the bottom of the silhouette. Wind was full value 5 mph with 8 mph gusts east to west while shooting north. Held 1/4 target form right. Super easy.
@@mattmarzula Good shooting. But 500 yards (457 meters) is a far cry from 550 meters. I did the same - 100% (20 out of 20) - on an E-type at the 600-yard (548 meters) KD line with IRON sights from an M4 carbine from the supported prone. You did well, given the difficulty of your firing position (prone unsupported), while I did equally well, given the nature of my sighting system (IRONS) and increased range (an additional 101 meters). By the way, you are not an average shot - the unsupported prone is a difficult game.
The best weapon is the one you train with. My go to is a 7.62 NATO AR-10. I wanted something that could handle hunting where I live as well as tactical situations should the need arise. I'll keep that until I find something I like better.
As far as weapons breaking, I've never had one outright fail. Even poorly maintained pos's, once they were cleaned and lubed, ran just fine. The only weapon I had jam on me was my AR-15 (.556) and that was caused by the trigger actuator being new.
And that highly beneficial mentality is the same for shooters as when Bruce Lee said "Fear not the man who has practiced 1000 different punches 1 time, butr fear the man who has practiced 1 punch 1000 times."
Both sayings convey the message that practice makes perfect with the one specific method of attack.
Bravo good sir.
Bought a BCM 11.5 inch upper after Sandy Hook. Could not find a bolt carrier group and got one from PSA. It was the $70 buck unmarked house brand. Fast forward a few years and at the point I had around 750-1000 rounds through the gun. Two lugs sheared off while shooting.
it's better to have quality stuff if you can
I could have stopped reading after PSA. I already knew... Buy once, cry once.
@@mattmarzula It was absolutely the only place I could find an BCG. If you recall stuff was out of stock everywhere.
PSA. AR-15 with 5000 rounds and counting.
I saw an m4 go down on deployment after one round that took 2 armorers over an hour to get back up and running. It can and does happen with the ar platform
Thanks for sharing!
One round? Two armorers over an hour? What was the malfunction? Obviously didn't happen in combat. I'm guessing poor maintenance, sand in the chamber, and a ruptured case. Those usually take me a minute with the extractor tool. Two with a multi tool. Bolt override? Takes me about five seconds to clear with my little finger. Lose gas key? I just can't imagine who has two armorers available and how they can't fix a rifle in the time it takes me to build one completely.
@@STOKERMATICnotice how he wasn't specific? Sounds like a POG at the range halfway through a deployment zeroing a weapon they didn't ever clean. Properly maintained M4's don't just stop after one round. I've only ever had three M4's break. One belonging to my buddy who was blown up by an RKG-3 in downtown Tikrit. Big mess. He lived and still owes me a bottle of scotch. Although technically he died four times on the table. He got to keep his leg though. Two times the buttstock broke on mine. One diving for cover in Kirkuk and the other off the head of a shooter who tried to run through a taxi stand after a spray and pray with a pistol also in downtown Tikrit. Other than that, the only times an M4 went teets up around me was when POGs ran theirs over with MRAP's or the castellated retainer nuts on the buttstock came loose under fire because some high-speed busted the stamp welds to put on a single point sling.
Could not agree more with this advice. I run a 5.56 Stag Arms AR. A 308 Savage for any long range that could come up. And a 12 ga.pump shot gun. My stag Arms did fail once , gas rings jammed up the bolt and would not let it cycle. Company replaced the bolt and havent had a problem in years.
Mini 14 preferred one of the newer ones with the tapered barrel.
Ha. F with the D you got I guess.
Set and Setting is everything! Thank you for bringing up What ifs?
After years of this debate it’s Now a You do you boo kinda thing.
Yep
I can honestly can say I don't know. You are right. I agree with everything you said. My two choices would be. And AR-15 where's a Red Dot or a Springfield M1A Scout with LPVO. I do think a 7.62x51 is a lot better overall round than a 556. 7.62x51 has less rounds. But it does not take as many to get the job done. But the choice comes down to which one fits the team better. I think both are excellent choices.
Have to agree with everything you said. And I have a 308 with a nice scope in my safe but only because there is no range near me that allows me to exercise that skill. However I have shot at 500 several times using irons so I’m hoping that skill will return to me with some practice when needed.
Course I trust 308 to stop a vehicle then 5.56.
Spittin facts my dude. I was a sniper in the Army and yeah most engagments 300-400 max. My go to is a SBR 300 blackout that is specifically configured for that close range/CQB/urban combat. Out more in the open is a standard 16" 5.56 with a 1-10 LPVO and thats just for PID.
most of my equipment failures were the magazines usually issued to us. After we got a better mags or replaced the springs it was good to go!
You will be the sum total of the people around you. Very few people live in a bubble without friends and family who rely on them and who they rely on.
So good luck.
I have had out of spec lowers from PSA cause continual malfunctions with pins walking and buffer chatter. But after moving off their lowers have never had anything other than a firing pin break after 10k rounds.
I did have my ar blow up on me. Pretty sure it was an over charged round. And I have it on video. I got it fixed up. Still rocking it. I’m sticking with my 556 for reasons you said, all my buddies are using it. It’s been in use for a long time, and proven. No need to waste time and money on other crap.
This only occurred once, but the gas rings on the bolt, somehow got stuck between the Bolt Carrier and the bolt itself, and would not fire correctly. I carry additional gar sings for the bolt, and an additional complete BCG.
I had a firing pin break on an AR build in 6.8spc. That was my first black rifle, I wanted to use it for deer hunting. It probably had 700rds thru it. It may have happened a few shots after I had a primer blowout on some locally manufactured ammo.
Several years now, several ars, thousands of rounds since then (including that 6.8 which is a super deer gun), and the only other problem is carbon lock, and running out of $. Thanks for what you do here
My go to is a GPR 5.56 carbine. 16”. I also have a 20” mossberg 590. I have a belt set up, and a Tether similar to what breachers ran in GWOT. I’m still working on a plan, or my plan as a go to.
I served for 27 years. I never had a weapon to stop working.
Five tours, 19 years Infantry and running. I've seen plenty weapons stop working. Not mine though. Depends how you maintain them and how much work you're putting in.
Thank you for your service brother ❤
@@mattmarzulasame, 10 years and two tours. Seen several weapons fail, but mine never did.
28 years. Navy. Army. Georgia Air National Guard. Air Force.
I think the best battle rifle that you can have is the one you have
It's definitely the one you have with you at the time!
And be proficient with it. Practice,practice and practice some more.
As a civilian, you chose what you have when you need it.
The AR platform is the best on the planet, in my opinion. Russia has a comparable unit in the 5.45
Nope, we have a choice as civilians
10:39 Ak47; International Ordinance circa 2014, receiver cracked/chipped where the barrel mates after firing approx. 800 rds
I bought one of those 4 or 5 years ago from a friend that needed money. He was having his first child. I bought it knowing I.O.s reputation. Planning on getting it gold plated to hang over my fireplace.
@@charlessalmond7076 about all they’re good for. I use it for testing paint schemes
Hey, just found you. So great to hear sensible talk, grounded in reality, for once.
For me it's my M-1 Garand. But I'm old. (Getting cataracts out next month.)
Oh imagine if anyone ever had the genius to make an AR platform that fires the WW2 military loading of the good ol' .30-06, with a 25-round mag.
Goosebumps, I tell ya!
M1A here ... nothing wrong with old school
@@Knight_Who_Says_Nee:
There is a manufacturer that makes an AR in 30-06. Can't remember who. Then there is (was?) NEMO Arms with their 300 WinMag. High dollar stuff.
Always the best stuff. Carl and Coach drop knowledge, every time.
Very good point. I am retired. Cannot afford fancy gear. Some of you may laugh at my option. I have a re-barrelled P14 .303 British. 5 rounds in the integral mag and 1 in the chamber. Not sporterised. Original military stock. 3 sight options. Installed is a Lynx scope 3X9 variable. I'm an old bisley shooter so have installed a
mount for a Parker Hale mod 5 apperture rearsight. 6 different appertures. Then I can still remove the scope and re-install the original battle sights. P14 is strongest of .303 rifles. Big game calibres have been built on this platform. Can load to .30-06 ballistics if I want to. Shoots sub-MOA. I have hunted with this rifle and have the confidence to know that I hit well with it. Military woodwork makes it far more robust than most hunting rifles. It was designed as a long range battle rifle. The Brits used thes in bisley back in the day out to 1200 yds in the creedmore position. Zeroed at 200metres, I don't have to make any sight adjustments out to 300 metres. But very effective out to 500metres/600 yds. Range finder is in.mportant as well as knowing the drop at 50metre increments beyond 300 metres. I'd love an AR platform - not in .223, but 6.5 creedmore, but it's a dream. Hugely out of reach for me financially, in this country. This calibre (.303Brit), with 180gr projectiles is approx 4x as powerful as .223. Equivalent to .308. Aim is to escape and evade at all costs, but if push came to shove, I'm very comfortable with the set up I've got.
My mom dont have a basement, but I do, so I keep most of my gear there. All of my guns are AR platform, but not all chambered in 556. My truck gun is a shorter barrel AR pistol chambered in 7.62x39. This gun is used to get back home. I have it laid out just like my other ARs. I bought it from PSA, its a KS-47, paid about 500 for it a few years back. What I would call my battle rifle is a 16" barrel that started out life as a M&P15 and has since been changed over time.
Ive got quite a few rifles and other weapons, however i live in the swamp with some farm fields interspersed with few more than 500yrds. My go-to around my house is Mossberg 590A1 and if i have to leave my house its carbine length AR with 2.5x prism scope.
Personally I’d rather avoid a fight if at all possible. But if I needed to I’d want an AR (rifle or pistol) in 300 blk with a suppressor. If I’m firing at someone I want more power than a 5.56 and I’d rather make it harder for them to know my position. But like I said I’d rather avoid a fight.
At 300 yards the subsonic 300 Blackout is MUCH weaker than a 5.56 or .223
@@jamescook7713 this is America not the mountains of Afghanistan. If there is fighting it’ll be well within 300 yards since most likely the fighting will be Urban.
@@John-uy4jx Hey John, I live in rural South Georgia. The closest built up 'urban' area near me is Tallahassee Florida. When the SHTF Tallahassee will be avoided. I'm a 28 year military veteran, retired. Service with Navy, Army, Georgia Air Guard and Air Force. 90-91 Gulf war veteran, 400th MP unit out of Tallahassee. I'm ready for whatever comes my way.
Good luck finding any ammo during SHTF. You should plan your rifle around what’s most commonly available, aka AR15s and AK pattern rifles. Most people don’t use or have .300 BLK, let alone spare parts.
@@hollerboys6667 that can be easy fixed by swapping the upper. You can use the same lowers with 5.56 and 300 black out. But also having weapons in unusual calibers can be useful as well.
Having a rifle in 7mm Mauser, 7.5 Swiss, .458 socom or any others diversify your options. Imagine scavenging for ammo and you find 100 rounds of .303 British and you remember ‘hey I have a Lee enfield at my home’.
I do get what you’re saying and it has been taken into consideration.
Great topic!
I'm your neighbor in lowest Alabama. My go to is my AR 15 5.56 with 16 in barrel. Iron sights with the M16 handle. I have another without the handle with flipup sights but I'm old school. Out to 350 yrds or a bit more , the target goes down. Farther than that i use a Mossburg bolt action in 30.06 out to 800 its mine with my 3x12 40mm scope. And I'm almost 67
Here in western Maine, 100 yards is rare. What was a heavily wooded region in my youth has now been trashed through timber 'resource management'. Thick with young saplings and miserable bramble patches. Watching the drone-war developements in Ukraine, you can have those spacious western vistas.
Also from Maine... plus we have the tick infestation to contend with...
@@davemac2505 not from Maine, but I feel you on the ticks... Absolutely horrible the last couple of years.
Oh yuht.
@@HomesteadingPatriotticks here in Southeast Missouri are really bad this year definitely worse than usual.
I have had bad ammo where the case has split. I have had many m60's aviation type in 2002 not run right.
Thank you for this video sir.. my every purpose rifle is my DD MK18 i have a magnifier with holographic sight, im not trying to hit someone 300 meters.. im all about 50-70 yard fight.. my dd m4a1 14.5 is set up with a lpvo but i still wont shoot that far..i train with eyes and ears and plates.. in a home defense scenario i wont have time to put any of that shit on while someone is trying to kick my door in..
Per weapons reliability… I’ve personally never had an AR break on me that I owned. However They are not budget brands. I’ve seen over 50 budget builds break in person in classes and on the range. By break, I mean “catastrophic” in the sense they were not simple or complex malfunctions. They required tools or parts to fix. These were all budget brands, complete and home builds. Generally low round count. These ranged from stuck casings unable to removed by mortaring, hydrolocking, broken bolts, extractors, buffers coming apart, charging handles breaking, optics mounts breaking, optics flying off the gun, gas blocks coming lose, gas blocks falling off the gun, amongst others. Included in the numbers are guns that had habitual and repeated malfunctions that the person couldn’t finish the class or range day.
I’ve had 2 SRO’s fail around 15,000 rounds each and an optic plate or two. I’ve had an AR10 build break a trigger, which was my own fault for not upgrading the lower parts kit from an Aero LPK. I’ve shot out 3 AR barrels.
Training pace: 1k pistol minimum a month, 8k rifle a year, 3-4K precision rifle. 40+ classes. Amongst other stuff.
Ya but 90% of that stuff is from assembly issues. Guys Lego them together and don’t even own tools on their kitchen table. Someone knows what their doing their tough. I’ve got a psa from a house fire. Bud gave me. All aluminum was completely melted. So I swapped all the aluminum and springs all steel was original it had a chrome fn barrel I’ve shot many thousands of rds through it. They just need assembled properly.
@@jefferyboring4410 estimate approximately 40%+ of the above were complete factory rifles. Much of this conversation is folks come from a different context. The bottom shelf barrels will basically be clapped out in 5-7k in the majority for instance. Best case. Or the bolt breaks at 1200. For most, that’s a lifetime of shooting. For guys that actually train, that’s a rebarrel a year at minimum, if not 2. Out of spec barrels/chambers and breaking bolts have nothing to do with assembly
Stoker, I’ve had a GAU-21 ( 50.Cal) break numerous times. Extractor ejector was the most common. The ejector would break off of the extractor.
This is down right refreshing.. and solid advice should we need these skills I have been struggling with this for a while what is my effective range and plan for that. Thank you. KISS Subscribed
M&P 15 2.0 with a Romeo 5, Magpul rear flip ups, and a stack of mags. All in still under $1k for pretty much all I'm realistically going to need.
I had a cheap bolt break in an AR pistol that was over gassed. Also, the barrel was slightly out of alignment and it unlocked too early. I have seen the forward assist used to totally lock up a jammed round in the chamber. I had a friend's AR gas block come loose and it became a single shot. All the gas blocks on my ARs are pinned.
Vast majority of malfunctions comes from not cleaning the rifle properly or not at all. A friend decided to be is own armorer and completely disassembled his AR15; but, he didn’t reinstall the springs properly (trigger group) causing the weapon to fire one round and not reset the hammer. Took a minute to realize what he had done and corrected the problem.
Springfield Armory Saint, only problem I ever had was shooting Steel, first mag perfectly fine, second mag, case wouldn't eject. Now I only shoot brass. I've put thousands of rounds through it now and just that one issue.
Got a 10.5 inch AR from palmetto state. Took to the range and ran a ton of ammo through it. Took it home and let it sit. Went back a month later and after 1 magazine it wouldn’t cycle more than. 2 rounds at a time. I was told it’s the cheap range ammo I was using? Idk. I cleaned it and will be taking it back this week. Didn’t think they needed cleaned like that.
I’ve got a psa from a house fire everything but steel was completely melted I assembled it cheapest possible. It’s been extremely reliable for many k rounds of super hot bubba home loads. U make the gun reliable. Fix it. And make it prove itself to u. U probably just had it dry with sooty ammo
I'm more of a plinker than a high volume shooter, but even so it might be interesting to hear your thoughts on basic parts/tool kit for simple AR field servicing should a need arise before you can back to the armorers bench. Also, what would be your take on an AR pistol in 300 in this scenario ?
I was in a carbine class and one of the other guys in the class had a drop in cassette type trigger (I don’t know what brand) in his AR-15 that had a catastrophic failure. He had only brought one rifle to the class so he was done. Thankfully someone else had brought a spare rifle and they were kind enough to lend it to him so he could continue with the class.
Well stated opinions. Thx
Most odd parts I've seen come apart have been the trigger pins walking out, extractor cracking or chipping.
I've had my firing pin retaining pin break while in the bolt carrier and get the carrier lodged in the receiver as it reciprocated in a training class.
Same for buffer retainer pin work its way out from the buffer tube ... and the rubber end of the buffer get chewed by the buffer spring.
Buy extra small parts. You're going to have to buy 10 of them because the shipping costs more than the parts.
Thanks Stoker for the videos.
This. This right here. Best honest to goodness truth out there. Buncha people need to hear this. Stay safe. Stay free. ☦️☦️☦️
I totally agree with everything you have said. AR-15 will always be my go to. Yes, I own a 12 gauge shotgun. VR80 with several 9 shell mags all loaded with slugs, but if it comes down to having to choose one gun to grab as I run out the door it is still gonna be my AR-15 with 16" barrel.
Good stuff, my go to is a suppressed 13.7 with an lpvo and some nv capabilities aswell, its been a hell of a rig for me. Great thing about ar's too is if you decide to upgrade or tune them a bit more for your liking tou can always do it later down the road. Ive got a decent bit in this rig but its been my obsession love child for about 5 years. Alot of tinkering and tuning and making it exactly what i want in a rifle. Now its basically just an extension of my body, muscle memory and when i have it, it just feels right. Like my home or my happy place lol, ive even been able to put some meat in the freezer with it the past few years and dealt with some pests like beavers and coyotes on the property. She just runs, a great thing too about usin you rifle like this aswell is just more reps in and you get some real world data of how it performs. Anyways ive rambled long enough, i would like to hear more about this rig in the video though. See whst you got there, but god bless from ole Carolina.
Thank you
Had a GAU(CAR15) from 1972 vintage, the buffer retaining pin shattered the lower receiver during recoil, irreparable (Yes, was my issued weapon). This was in 1992 so that tells the age of the weapon. Worked at a gun store and saw lots of weapons that were down. Mostly from guys that built them and built them incorrectly. Have seen factory guns break. It happens, nothing really field repairable. My personal firearms have not had issues, knock on wood now that I have called on Murphy. Great vid, keep them coming.
My AR 10 w 16" barrel is loaded and 10' away in my living room...I live in the suburbs and can't see 200 yards away...
I have had three handguns break on me and was there standing in the next lane when an AR-15 broke on my dad. By break, I mean they became non-functional during the course of use, and required significant time and energy to resolve for the handguns. The rifle just outright broke.
For my handguns, all 3 were inherited, and two of them were not particularly reputable brands. The first was a Jimenez Arms JANine. It would fire out of battery and wouldn't fire in battery, so it had an accident with a hammer and a Sawzall. The second was a Rossi .38 Special that the timing was off on. After a total disassembly and deep cleaning it works well as a plinker, now. The third was a Colt 1991A1. It had been fully disassembled and the grip safety had been reinstalled incorrectly. The hammer sometimes wouldn't drop. After disassembling it fully, and cleaning everything, it works flawlessly.
Back when Bushmaster owned itself, my dad bought an AR-15 from them. The place he bought it had a huge outdoor range on the property, so he bought it, a couple hundred rounds, and range time. We go outside, he pulls the pins to make sure there isn't any grease sealing the gun up or anything, adds a few drops of oil, and fires 3 rounds. The casing for the third round hung up in the ejector and jammed everything up so badly that he couldn't even drop the magazine. He took it back inside, and they offered him his money back, or any gun of equal or lesser value, so he got a Ruger Mini-14. That gun has been a workhorse for years.
I own the 744th Glock 17 that was manufactured. I have fired it AT LEAST 10,000 times. I've never had a stoppage of a stove pipe. If you want a pistol that you can depend on to save your life, buy a GLOCK!!
Your survival video here, is the ONLY video I've seen so far on this subject matter asking, "what kind of person are you going to be?"
This is a defining moment, where the viewer asks himself, "am I good, or evil?"
My response is Psalms 144:1, & Psalms 30:1. I shall let God guide my heart, mind & hands should I ever find myself in this type if scenario. I pray it never happens, again!
Great content, thank you for sharing. Big thanks from Sweden
you made some very good and yes necessary points target ID is very important even in shtf.. still stand by the most used and practiced with is best
Yup I've had a gun break while firing. Had a Kimber 1911 that had the tip of the extractor break while at the range on a date. Is now upgraded with an Ed Brown tool steel extractor. And no longer my carry piece.
M1A scout squad with a scout scope. Shoots .308 and is versatile (hunting, combat, ammo plentiful)
my Mini14 is my primary hunting rifle.
I witnessed an SKS that still had cosmolin in the bolt and firing pin channel go full auto when the firing pin jammed. That was exciting.
You asked a question about engagement and If one person could benefit from this real life example then I believe it’s worth sharing. I used to live on a farm and I had to confront two guys on the property I chose to grab a shotgun because they seemed to be hiding from me. (Yes the whole situation was stupid but let me tell it as it happened) I confronted them and my takeaway was “They had to trust me that I wasn’t going to shoot them” (this is an important lesson that a father son duo in Georgia could have benefited from a few years back) One of the guys was calm because it wasn’t his first rodeo but the other guy was younger and dumber than me and he was scared enough to do something stupid. I never pointed the gun at them but I could tell his mind was racing with bad decisions. “He clearly didn’t trust me not to shoot him” luckily the other guy calmed him down and the police sorted it all out. They were surveyors but they admitted their actions were suspicious. My takeaway was in real life you cannot control the reptilian brain of a stranger, so ask yourself what would you do if you were them. If your answer is fight for your life then maybe you should choose an approach that YOU would not feel the need to fight for your life. The next group I had to deal with on my property was a Jeep full of drunks that stopped in my front yard. I walked out with my mag light 🔦 and asked what they were doing. They replied we were looking for dead bodies (earlier that day a car lost control on the gravel road nearly hitting my wife in the yard and crashed into a tree. The young driver’s abandoned it there for a couple of days before a tow truck showed up to get it out of the yard) The drunks saw the vehicle and decided to drive up to it and see if anyone was inside. They inquired about the flashlight 🔦 and I said “I figured it was less threatening than my shotgun”😁 we all had a laugh and I confirmed where they were heading and they went on their way. Some people may think I could have been out gunned in that situation but those people haven’t seen my wife shoot an M1 Garand, Just like those guys never seen her that night 👍 The point of me sharing this isn’t to say what’s right and what’s wrong it’s to get people to think about how their actions can potentially create the outcome they do not want. Always know what your preferred outcome is and ask if you were them would you respond to your actions in the way you want them to respond… If NO then change your approach 👊
These are the shortest versions of these two incidents so some quick facts. Police response time was 30-45 minutes in that area. In the first incident I found the truck before finding them and called the number and the secretary said she had no idea why it was there or who was on my property 🤦🏻♂️ For the second incident drunk farm boys in a Jeep was like drunk people on ATVs different time different place 🤷🏻♂️ I approached them because I felt that they were going to approach my home and I preferred to engage them in the yard than on my porch. They were being very loud and something they said made me think they were going to approach the house next. My personal takeaway was I was more confident of a positive outcome on the second engagement than I was on the first because my own actions hadn’t raised the threat to an undesirable level.
I had a pin slide causing a bump fire. Some folks have never seen or heard of that. Some folks have seen several.
Yes, a custom Colt 1911. Of all issues, the sear broke. I had never ever heard of one breaking in the past. Wear issues, yes but not breaking. Obviously, the pistol was down. Went to an issue S&W 66 revolver. I preferred the 1911 for serious social situations -- and still do. Things happens.
I run a 14.5 sop mod block 2, it’s a nail driver up to 450 yards and it’s small enough if I have to do cqc I can do so. It’s also battle tested by marines, seals, delta, rangers, ect.
More people need to understand these concepts. Thank you for the video.
I've had a few Young Manufacturing bolts break at the cam pin hole, several extractors and springs, a Grendel bolt. I've had gas blocks that weren't pinned slide down the barrel during a high round count(400 in 5 stages) 3 gun event.
If the grid goes down and food is gone, anyone you meet would be a potential enemy! Protection is most important during SHTF! That and numbers! Find likeminded individuals and prepare to defend yourselves from desperate people!
Power and food sounds more important and is more complicated
@@RoniiNNpower would be a liability imo, just attracts unwanted attention. Basically advertising I prepared, I have shit you want
@@dansilberstein326 so i'm better being a caveman then by that logic.
@@RoniiNN you do you, but tell me I’m wrong
Think i will be whatever my skillset or knowledge helps the most.Were i can be of most use to those around me.
Great wisdom I will apply. 👍👍👍
Love this guy, thank you sir!!!
Good points. Good video. Not sure why some guys think that they can hump a hangin, carbine & long range rifle, the ammo & other necessary kit. Not happening.
Having the rifle, ability and skills to take shots over 300 yds is definitely a real possibility in some AOs.
My part time gig is at a gun shop/range. 2020 during the height of covid insanity and crazed buying to did as a Ruger 556 come apart on the range. Was brand new out of the box. Century arms makes a trash AK that always breaks at the stock (at least at our range). My AR10 built out to be my battle rifle. I did add a 20” barrel just cuz but that’s built for that purpose. You’re absolutely right though you can’t plan the situation when it comes but having at least a plan is the best start
We are prepared for a variety of hardships and challenges ... including security ... we just hope the kinetic will be limited in scope and well-defined in nature ... I'm with you, don't go looking for trouble ... defend if necessary ...
I have several items that would be useful in a SHTF event.